Baby New Year...

...wishes you a happy and healthy 2010! We wholeheartedly thank you for walking through this year with us. We just couldn't resist capitalizing on our little lady's ears. Be safe!

7 Month Update

Abby has had a crazy few days. She had a package opening party with her Grandma and Pop Pop Nieporte in light of it being her first Christmas, followed by a drive to Sacramento to see the Heatherly Grandparents. She did great, save for about an hour of fussiness. MUCH better than when we did this drive in early November. She seems like such a big girl now... here are her stats on her 7th month birthday.

7 month stats :

sitting up with help

grabs things with both hands, transfers them from hand to hand and to her mouth

head is fairly steady

not quite ready for an exersaucer or a bouncer (that hangs from the door jam) just yet

can roll from tummy to her back no problem

finds herself on her tummy from time to time having rolled there without meaning to

grabs for our drinks

can drink from a cup with help

can drink from a sippy cup without help

loves carrots, peas, avocado & prunes

not so happy about pears (why not?!)

solidly wearing 3-6 month clothes (some 6 month clothes in long, lean brands)

finally weighs over 12 pounds!

takes a small iron supplement every other day

loves hearing "la la la" and grabbing at our eyes and mouths

is spending her first Christmas Day in Sacramento at her grandparents house

is finally in size 2 diapers!

Here is Abby - actually smiling during tummy time. Her Papa was making her laugh.

Gettin' ready for Christmas with Grandma...
Grandma took Abby out for a walk in her cute bunny suit (because it's cold here!) and when she came home, Abby was fast asleep in her arms. Hurrah for 3 naps today instead of 2! Merry Christmas, everyone!

You Better Watch Out....

Abby meets an old man with a beard in a red coat. She was surprisingly okay with it... MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! Abby turns 7 months on the 23rd. Update to come.

Carrots & Lily

Abby had her first taste of carrots today. She LOVED 'em. She isn't gaining weight the gang-buster way she was a few weeks ago. I'm sure she's having normal growth spurts here and there but of course, we have a lot of catching up to do and I want continual big time weight gain. It's always a prayer request in this house that Abby will continue to gain weight. I guess I won't be weaning her off of those night feedings anytime soon! She's doing just great -- I just won't be completely satisfied until she's "caught up" -- as all the doctors say that she will.

It's been 3 months since our good friend Gina had her baby girl, Lily and we had yet to meet her. Since Gina is a disinfecting crazy woman, we had no need to worry about germs and headed over to her house for a bit today. We joke that the girls will be choreographing dance routines the way Gina and I did in high school...but to be honest, Abby was really enthralled with Lily's older brother, Luke. Oh boy. Here is Gina and Lily (she's got the coolest hair in town)...

and here are the girls, laughing it up. Oh! And, while we were there, Abby kept "grabbing" for my water glass. Finally, I got the hint and gave her a sip. I tell ya, the girl is going to be throwing back her very own Sigg of water soon. Hope you are all having a wonderful December so far!

What a difference...

two months makes!

Here we are, immediately post surgery when we found out that Abby was out, was okay, was going to be fine.... (relief, joy, exhausted, tears). And here we are today -- please forgive the "Saturday morning-no make up-rolled out of bed" look (so thankful and happy about sweet Abby).

Big day today - Abby was picked up under her arms and was put on her tummy. Both went great. She immediately flipped on to her back -- she's half way to rolling over. Her favorite past times remain -- sitting up and sucking on her feet. And "talking." Lots and lots of talking. Even when she's trying to fall asleep, she mumbles. Crazy girl...

Her sleep is a bit better -- some nights she's great, other nights she can't quite stay "down." We've learned to roll with it for now, until she's a bit bigger. Here she is in her first winter outfit seeing that we're getting hit with the first storm she's ever seen! Merry Christmas, everyone!

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O Christmas Tree!

Usually we have a $20 rule for trees. It's almost a challenge - the best tree for $20. It started the year we were married, and since we get it the first week of December and aren't even here for Christmas day, it works. Other than the needles all over the house for a few weeks seeing that the tree is dying a slow death, it's great. This year we really splurged -- $29 (i know... crazy!) and Grant went to get it by himself (blasphemy!). We realized we couldn't lower the back seat on one side with Abby's carseat in the middle. Drat. So, off he went and here we wait, with lots of cheer to greet him with. I gotta go make the Cocoa! Thankfully, it's not hot here today so it actually feels like winter (I know, you east coasters... it's only 60) but it definitely helps get us in the mood.

I also had time to go through a few things today seeing that Abby slept for an HOUR today... and I ran across this quote from EM Bounds. I really resonated with me when we were trying to get pregnant with Abby and seems appropriate looking back on her surgery, too.

"Trouble is God's servant. No trouble is ever turned loose in this world and comes in to the life of a saint or a sinner but that it comes with divine permission and is allowed to exist and do it's painful work with God's hand involved, carrying out His gracious designs of redemption."

When things are tough, doesn't that make you wanna take a big sigh of relief that someone, other than you, is in control? Thankfully that "someone" can be trusted with everything -- even our very lives.

We're off to decorate -- bad hair day and all.

6 Month Check Up

Big day.... Abby went back to the pediatrician today and got a glowing report! She's up to 11.5 pounds (about an ounce a day, still) and she's now 24.25" long. Our little peanut is grooooowing! Her little growth chart just plods along, not even touching the graph and now -- boom!-- it's sky rocketed straight up. She'll be on that graph in no time. They tested her iron levels and she jumped from 9.3 to 11.5! Hurrah! I think that 12 -13 is really ideal so she is doing fabulous. We've taken her down to half her dosage every other day, which is GREAT news. She got a vaccination today and hardly cried -- she's getting back to her old self -- tough like her dad. Pretty soon she'll be taking soccer balls to the face and hardly wincing... (we won't let her play Lacrosse, Grandmas, don't worry!). She's still battling this cold and now THAT'S messing with her sleep since she's having a tough time breathing even with the "brain sucker" (snot sucker -- which she hates -- you just feel like you're sucking out her brain) with saline drops and the humidifier. Somehow, when we bring her into OUR bed instead of her crib, she can breathe easier and sleeps great. Hmmmm..... something very suspicious going on there, don'tcha think? This was truly a wonderful way to kick off the holidays. Maybe I can even talk her daddy into getting that Christmas tree tonight! Thank you all, again, for your continued concern, prayers and support. We are so very thankful for all of you. xo